In Control Lies Freedom (Chapter 1)

Naira – Swara
Ansh- Sanskaar
Rey-Laksh
Naina-Ragini
Tanya-Uttara
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Ansh straightened his tie with cold, dull eyes wandering across the coffee brown interiors of the luxurious room. The dim candle lights attached to either end of the bed, lit the room with faint light which further shaded his grim gaze. Polished black hair scraped the ends of his forehead, predatory grey eyes skimmed for danger while his tanned skin acted as an artificial mask to conceal his ruthless personality. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he checked his watch, it’s been 30 minutes since he sent his crazy friend, Rey, to get the gem. A possessive glint snapped into his eyes as the thought of Rey misplacing the gem and instantly regret of handing the task to him washed over him.

He took long strides to the other end of the room when he heard ruffling noises in the corridor and within seconds an exuberant voice filled the voice, “Bro! I am back,”

“Give me that gem,” Ansh ordered authoritatively as he smacked the head of his best friend.

Rey rolled his eyes as he carefully took the shiny blue sapphire out of his pocket and placed it in Ansh’s hand while asking solemnly, “What are you going to do to protect it?”

Ansh stared darkly at the crystal clear gem in his hand and shortly declared, “Anything but marriage,”

Ansh gazed at Rey, who scoffed at his answer and hit the magnificent bed located in the middle of the room. With the possibility of trade officers entering the city, rules of Nirag pressurizing Ansh, the only way to keep his secret safe is marriage. The major issue with that solution was that he had absolutely no interest in any commitment nor having another person to look after. Another addition to the family would only cause him trouble and there was not a girl in Nirag who could keep up with his dangerous and hasty life.

“Time for the feast,” a worker came by to announce in a tremulous voice.

Ansh smirked at the news and curtly dismissed the worker, it was finally time for the yearly feast. 150 years ago, when the world was tied together, Nirag was a tiny part of the Indian subcontinent, way before the 7 trillionaires of the world decided to buy a continent of the world each, resulting the formation of the Greater Nirag and ruled by the Nirag family.

“Bro, let’s go,” Rey enthusiastically says and drags Ansh to the courtroom where the feast was being held.

Both the boys walked through the bright corridors of the glass palace with the cheers of the crowd anticipating them filling the air. Right before they halted at the balcony which oversees the feast, a teenage girl came dashing towards Ansh with another lady, in her early 20’s chasing her. Both the girl had similar features, high cheekbones, pitch black hair, fair skin tone and warm dimples.

“For God sakes, Tara, wait up,” the older one called out in a pleading tone at her younger sister who was right about to dash into the two boys.

“Too late, Tanya,” Tara yelled out to her older sister and rushed to both the boys, throwing her arms around Ansh and whispering sweetly, “Happy Birthday!”

Ansh’s face softened and a glint of pleasure streaked through his face as he gave his younger sister a warm hug as he said, “Ah, finally you remember,”

“Oh please, how can I forget my only brother’s birthday? And besides, even if I did, with so many preparations going on, I am bound to remember, right?” Tara chirps with excitement as she fixes her satin pink gown while Tanya wishes Ansh.

“Happy Birthday! Close your eyes to get your gift,” Tanya instructed him with a gentle smile playing on her lips.

The usual routine, Ansh thought as he closed his eyes and extended his hands, instantly, he heard a pair of giggles when he felt a rectangular light box placed in his palm.

“Open your eyes and look at your b’day present,” Tara chirped away with immense energy as Ansh opened his eyes with uncertainty.

“Dude, remember that you have to accept it and also use it,” added in a comical tone.

The smiling figures of both the ladies and Rey’s smirking face only added to trouble, Ansh thought as he narrowed his gaze and took a glance at a ring box placed in his hand. A sense of relief washed over him as he examined the box.

“Didn’t you guys already know I have way too many rings?” Ansh asked, confused, while the rest 3 smirked at him and indicated him to open the present.

His face stiffened and the dark eyes were back when he saw a girl’s ring placed in the box, it was a wedding ring for a girl, “What’s all this?”

“The wedding ring for your wife,” his sisters stated the obvious which angered Ansh even more.

He let out a brittle laugh before sourly declaring, “Even if hell freezes, I am not going to get married,”

“We’ll see,” Rey challenged him as all of them turned around to proceed to the balcony.

A smirk blew on Ansh’s face when they heard a huge crowd cheer as they step into the balcony, billions of people gathered in the courtarea which spread over 20 acres to hold the crowd. People were whistling, cheering, shouting and waving crazily at their most loved ruler- Ansh Nirag. Ansh snorted inwardly at the immense security and authority covering the entire place.

A well- known priest calmed the crowd and commenced the feast, “This day, we salute to the ruler, the sole son of the creator Yash Nirag’s son, for creating this perfect society,”

The crowd erupted into applause, the priest paused for Ansh’s speech, but he sternly dismissed the idea and gave a nod for the feast to begin. Tara and Tanya quickly left to make arrangements for the night’s events while all the other generals and security guards also stepped outside for a break. Ansh immediately flung his phone out of the pocket and called the patrol guards for their annual check up, “Why is the update late?”

“Sorry sir, we were just finishing checking. All the school books have been changed,” he heard the guard at the other end voice out with fear evident in his voice.

“And?” he firmly enquired as he indicated to Rey carry on with the feast while he talks to the guards.

“All the websites have been updated with recent information and all the extra information has been taken out,” the guard informed him with a stuttering voice.

“What about the camera’s?” he questioned dourly with his patience running out. Who hired this useless guard?

“All the footage has been taken out and is being examined, the reports will be ready in a week,” the guard reported hesitantly.

“Good, tell the high duty guard that I want no opposition at any cost. Understood?” he ordered pensively, enunciating each word carefully so that no mistake happens.

“Y..yes sir,” the guard back in a panic tone which caused rich pleasure to Ansh.

Ansh cut the call and swiftly made his way to the courtroom to sit with extended family and major officers in the country. Power lay in the grey orbs of his eyes,authority sat on his shoulder and roared proudly like a lion. The entire Nirag swirled under his very command, and admired him for the same. Ansh lets go of his thoughts and began to take a bite of the delicious food placed before him when he heard informers racing towards him anxiously.

“There are invaders in the city,” they informed him as they failed to meet his gaze.

A girl is seen walking with guards on either end to a house situated near the black, tall border gates. The girl was dressed in regular denim jeans and a red top while the guards were all decked up in black uniforms, Bluetooth and loaded guns. A quick sort of yearning passed through her as she glanced longingly at the gates that blocked all flow.

“Naira Ma’am, all the houses are checked except the one where the computer was missing,” a guard brought her back from her daze.

The raptorial hazel eyes of Naira transformed into a shade of pitch black, matching her hair which loosely hung on either side. Her crooked smirk, perfectly raised eyebrow and the barbaric emotion covering her face were enough to scare all the people of Nirag. Her fair complexion, high cheekbones and slim body, curved at just the right places were her key to mesmerization. An invisible crown of cruelty and pride hung above her head at all times. Emotions of sorrow, pity, forgiveness, love played no role in her life and neither did the force of control.

“Is it Sam’s house again?” she enquired in a raspy voice as she firmly took out her sunglasses, causing the heated rays of the sun to blind her eyes.

The guard instantly blocked the sun’s rays and said in agitation, “Y.yes Ma’am,”

Naira rolled her eyes flatly as frustration and unmercy attitude drenched her body while she ordered in a sharp, rigid tone, “Check the entire city, I need him here in the next 5 minutes or else my trigger will blow on your heads. Understood?”

The guards shook with slight fear and gulped hard before dispersing in different directions to search for Sam before Naira’s intense rage makes its appearance. Naira sighed inwardly as she strolled a few steps and took a seat in one of the tables outside an empty cafe. The entire Nirag was in the feast and that is when she and her guards performed the annual check to make sure everything is ‘all set’; in other words, planting and updating false information. She checked her watch and grunted hard, 3 more minutes left.

A quick rush of rising anger ticked through her as Naira waited for another minute before pressing the button to make all her guards assemble. One person was surely going to die in her hands today, only time could say whether it was her guard or Sam. Just as she moved her thumb to press the button hanging on the waistline of her jeans when she heard pleas from around the corner of a very familiar voice.

“Ahh, who do we have here?” she stated in a sarcastic innocent voice while her eyes danced with pleasure to see Sam being dragged by one of her most skilled guards.

“P..please leave me. I am sorry, I won’t do it again,” he begged in the most pleading and sincerest voice while her guards thrust him into the guard.

“Gun,” she demanded in a disgruntled tone at one of her sidemen as she outstretched her hand while her eyes glued to Sam to see the horrified expression on his face.

“But ma’am,” her sidemen reasoned as he took mercy on Sam while Naira grunted again with displeasure.

“Gun,” she ordered more fiercely with the tone rising in her voice and irritation flashing clearly in her eyes.

The next minute the shiny platinum gun was placed in her hand while Sam implored in distress, “I..am sorry, please leave me.”

“Okay, now all you’re doing is making me look bad. I already gave you once chance before thinking about your so-called family,” she spat venom at his face in disgust while Sam trembled with fright.

“One more chance, please,” Sam attempted to persuade her once again while Naira paid no particular interest in his pleas and continued to play with her gun.

A sour laugh escaped Naira’s mouth and she scoffed dryly, “Idiot, how many times did we go through this same situation? 1? 2?”

Naira curtly grabbed his collar and placed the gun on his head while he was desperately pleading her and her finger landed on the trigger when her brother violently smacked the gun off her hand, “It is Ansh’s birthday which means no deaths are allowed today,”

Naira clenched her fist in anger and threw dangerous death glares at Sam before commanding steely, “Lock him up and find all the information about his so called family.”

“So, the Heartless Beauty strikes again?” her brother, Neil, snickered in a flat, persistent tone as he slipped his hands into his front jean pockets.

“Heartless Queen,” Naira corrected him with pride evident in her voice as she picked her gun and dusted it off while Neil shook his head with dismay.

“What am I hearing?” Naira heard a dramatic voice call out from behind to reveal her younger sister looking at her in a horrific state.

“Only you can know,” Neil answered in a comical way as he mimicked his sister’s cry.

“Naina, stop all this and go back to the feast,” Naira instructed sternly as she flung out her phone to get a guard to give Ansh the updates.

“Why don’t you come too?” Naina said in a jubilant and energetic tone as she flashed her dimples to convince Naira. Naina was a ball of energy, she was only 2 years younger than Naira but totally opposite of her sister. She had short hair, she was sporty, cheerful and held absolutely no grudges against anyone.

“You know I am the high patrol guard and need to finish the annual check,” Naira said in a stern, firm tone as she put on her shades.

“I also know that it is done for now and you can come,” Naina reasoned stubbornly as she tried to drag Naira towards the palace but failed miserably.

“If you know that, you should also know that the Heartless Queen doesn’t come to the feast,” Neil soothed his younger sister who sat in front of Naira with fake anger.

“Nor does she show her face to him, I get it. But why do you work for him then?” Naina enquired in exasperation and extreme dubiety.

“Only the people I want will get to see me and meet me,” Naira smartly replied in a critical tone as she eyed the glass palace, the headquarters of control.

Naina sighed with aggravation building inside her as she strove once more to find the right information, “Quit beating around the bush. Tell me why do you work for him? Does this have anything to do with escaping Nirag?”

Naira smirked evilly and replied in a brittle tone, enunciating each and every word precisely, “My every single move has only one motive, escaping the city. And besides, in his control lies my freedom.”

Naira saw her siblings stare at her with a flat, dull face as this statement was nothing new to them. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a guard running towards her in an attentive state, full gear and hyper mode as he yelled out to her in terror, “Ma’am, invaders broke into the city,”

Naira shut her eyes tightly, hoping that the news would fade away into darkness just like her eyesight, and opened them as she asked with horror, “Did you tell him?”

“Yes Ma’am,” he retorted in a small, tight voice while Naira ran a hand through her hair, dropping her phone. This wasn’t good. The corner of her stomach went taut with little fright and the hollow space in her heart pierced her soul. Will all her plan fail now?

How did they get in? Wasn’t there tight security throughout the borders?

She sucked in a keen breath and barked with instructions in a grating voice, “Crap, get moving then and find them NOW.”

Next: Naira and Ansh meet
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How was that?

I know some of you want me to change the names but I am trying my best to satisfy everyone so please co-operate! The story is posted on Wattpad too so if anyone has an account there, do support me there too!

Do drop in a comment on how do you think the meet will be! I am very excited for their meet, howz with me?

OMG..!!! Totally an unique and interesting story!!! Eagerly waiting for the meet..?? and u r just fantastic..! Actually u know what I am not even getting suitable words to praise u!!! ??? Keep going..!!